as in seducing
to influence someone with a bribe
meat inspectors were bribed, and the contaminated beef was sold to the public
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Recent Examples of bribing
Another man Wang communicated with, John Chen, was also sentenced to 20 months in prison for acting as an unregistered agent and bribing an IRS agent, prosecutors said.
—
Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 12 May 2026
Back in the day, scandals typically were point-shaving schemes that involved shadowy figures bribing athletes.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 May 2026
Both Zervas and Ziogas have both pleaded guilty to bribing Diamantis.
—Andrew Brown, Hartford Courant, 1 May 2026
In 2017, Lee was convicted of bribing then-president Park Geun-hye with almost $8 million to gain her support for a merger.
—Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 16 Apr. 2026
And after CLEAResult fired Darlington in 2017, the brothers began bribing CLEAResult employee Peter Marra — sending him cash and gift cards for special favors like getting heads-ups on inspections and audits.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 4 Apr. 2026
Asha was bribing people to use a scale!
—Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Apr. 2026
Trump in February 2025 issued an executive order pausing new investigations under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which prohibits citizens and companies from bribing foreign entities to advance their business interests.
—Ken B. Morales, ProPublica, 31 Mar. 2026
Saudi Arabia may still be able to get its tankers through the Red Sea by bribing the Houthis, Axios reports.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2026
Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 12 May 2026
Back in the day, scandals typically were point-shaving schemes that involved shadowy figures bribing athletes.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 May 2026
Both Zervas and Ziogas have both pleaded guilty to bribing Diamantis.
—Andrew Brown, Hartford Courant, 1 May 2026
In 2017, Lee was convicted of bribing then-president Park Geun-hye with almost $8 million to gain her support for a merger.
—Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 16 Apr. 2026
And after CLEAResult fired Darlington in 2017, the brothers began bribing CLEAResult employee Peter Marra — sending him cash and gift cards for special favors like getting heads-ups on inspections and audits.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 4 Apr. 2026
Asha was bribing people to use a scale!
—Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Apr. 2026
Trump in February 2025 issued an executive order pausing new investigations under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which prohibits citizens and companies from bribing foreign entities to advance their business interests.
—Ken B. Morales, ProPublica, 31 Mar. 2026
Saudi Arabia may still be able to get its tankers through the Red Sea by bribing the Houthis, Axios reports.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bribing
Verb
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Nate plays his older neighbors like a fiddle, seducing them with his beauty, money, and youth.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
20 Apr. 2026
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On the left, he’s heralded as the only voice capable of seducing young men disaffected by party politics.—
Abigail Sylvor Greenberg,
Vanity Fair,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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April and May’s weather seems Edenic, as if Florida is luring us forward towards the burning abyss of July, August, September and at least the first half of October.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 May 2026
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The Bears are also weighing a move to Hammond after Indiana’s legislature passed a bill earlier this year aimed at luring the franchise across the state line.—
Jeremy Gorner,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Cask investing involves buying an oak barrel filled with Scotch — either shortly after the spirit's distillation or having already aged — and allowing its contents to mature over a period of 10 to 20 years, before selling it on.—
Hugh Leask,
CNBC,
9 May 2026
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That can look like the hospital buying a stroke treatment drug, which typically costs $7,000, for less than $2,000, Schultz said.—
Dené K. Dryden,
Twin Cities,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Araghchi questioned whether the latest military exchange was meant to pressure Iran into a peace deal or the result of someone persuading the president of the United States (POTUS) to extend the conflict.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
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Mitchell’s greatest achievement was persuading Congress that effects — not intent — must be the legal standard, because intent can always be disguised.—
Alvin C. Hathaway Sr,
Baltimore Sun,
4 May 2026
Verb
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An early discussion about social contracts comes down to us in Plato’s dialogue Crito in which Socrates, condemned to death for allegedly corrupting the youth, refused an offer to escape from prison.—
George G. Szpiro,
Big Think,
9 Apr. 2026
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Meanwhile, the Pima County Sheriff Office investigating Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance is facing troubles of its own, as a former sheriff has accused current leadership of ‘corrupting’ the crime scene, and a deputy has been arrested and fired on a kidnapping charge.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The potential free-agency solutions don’t seem enticing at this point, either.—
Jesse Newell,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
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Their 2022 Pinot Noir has enticing aromas of cherry cola, cinnamon, and red raspberry that lead to delicious flavors of cherry, raspberry, cranberry, and brown baking spices.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Turner lore suggested the college student was expelled from the Ivy League school for having a female student in his dormitory room.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
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Jaxon’s father, Albert Juarez, acknowledged having serious health problems himself and a list of prescription painkillers.—
Julia Prodis Sulek,
Mercury News,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Kouri Richins, a Utah woman convicted of fatally poisoning her husband with fentanyl, is set to be sentenced for murder on Wednesday.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
13 May 2026
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One of the charges against Richins is connected to that incident after prosecutors accused her of poisoning his sandwich in an attempt to kill him.—
Minyvonne Burke,
NBC news,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bribing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bribing. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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